Elliot Yeo in doubt for West Coast Eagles’ season opener against Brisbane due to toe injury

Mark DuffieldThe West Australian

Wednesday, 20 February 2019 2:00AM

Eagles pay a visit to school kids across the state

The West Australian

VideoThe West Coast Eagles have run community clinics in Cervantes today. Elliot Yeo, Adam Simpson and Mark LeCras attended.

Dual John Worsfold Medal winner Elliot Yeo has acknowledged he is walking a fine line to be ready for West Coast’s round one clash against Brisbane at the Gabba on March 23 because of a toe injury.

And Yeo has labelled the Optus Stadium surface as “harder than you would like”, confirming a correlation between the hardness of the surface and a number of foot and toe injuries suffered by players.

Eagles defender Tom Barr-ass has also queried whether hard surfaces at both Optus and Lathlain Park contributed to foot and back problems he carried last year.

Sydney superstar Lance Franklin blamed the surface for his bruised heel after a stunning eight-goal best-afield display against West Coast in round one in 2018.

Dynamic small forward Jamie Cripps is expected to miss the opening of the 2019 season against the Lions next month, also with a toe injury.

Yeo’s sore toe plagued him for much of the second half of 2018 and required minor clean-up surgery at the end of the season.

Speaking at West Coast’s pre-season community camp in Cervantes yesterday, the crack midfielder revealed he hoped to play some minutes in an intraclub practice match on Friday.

He says he is aiming for round one but that it was a race to get the “loads” into his legs to be fit.

“It has been pretty difficult. I have only just filtered through to the main group now,” Yeo said.

“I have been in rehab for the majority of the pre-season and that hasn’t been ideal, but I guess it is just trying to get everything right and get the load in the legs ready for round one. It (the toe) set me back a little bit.

“It was a little niggle I had for a fair bit of last year, probably from halfway through the year, and I just had to manage it as best I could.

“There were some weeks I could hardly train. Post-game it would feel pretty bad and it was about managing and resting and getting ready for the next game.”

Yeo stressed he did not want to criticise the stadium because every new venue had teething problems.

“But I think there is a bit of a correlation with the foot injuries that players are having,” he said.

“Buddy had one in round one that set him out for a bit. The ground is a bit hard, Probably harder than you would like. Everything that is new is going to have its teething issue and you just have to get through it.”

Yeo is aiming to play at least one JLT Community pre-season practice match.

“The aim is round one but if I have any setbacks between here and then it could be pretty tight, pretty close,” he said.